Readers' comments

What Mr Cope gains on the right he will lose in the center. The UMP has fallen into the same trap that the GOP in the USA have - being so scared of the bogeyman of the far right that they have appeased them by endorsing hard right policies and so rendering themselves unelectable nationally.

''unless, that is, a divided party turns in desperation back to Mr Sarkozy''
Yes indeed, it would have to be real desperation to turn to a proven failure in the presidency of France.
Just how long have the right and the pseudo-aristocratic de Nagy-Bocsas of this world held power, ministerially and more, trying to get things 'right'?
And they want yet more time to fail more? (Or is it the EU mentality of out with democracy, just keep repeating stuff until you batter the punters into submission through sheer exhaustion with you?)
France needs new approaches with new ideas, not more of the failed same, endlessly piled up over and over again.
The has beens need to leave the stage.

Perhaps this points to a major flaw in modern democracy. Not just a flawed primary system which ballots the opinions of the extreme but also government where party lines are rigidly enforced. I would love to see the day when major legislation is pass by a coalition of the governing party's moderates with the main opposition party's reluctant support before switching over when elections change government

As an example, in the UK, I would love to see moderate Labour MPs voting (reluctantly) with moderate Conservatives as an expression of support for the centre with the opposite happening when Labour regain power. In each case the extreme left of the Labour party and the extreme right of the Conservative party can be maarginalised ensuring that their crazy ideas never make it into legislation as some kind of compromise to get their votes on sensible legislation.

Ideally this would stop nutty ideas like the 75% tax in France or extreme Conservative party Europhobia or silly anti immigration policy.

The French right and the US right are so similar in many ways.
Both are split between rational moderate conservatives, and an irrationally jingoistic, xenophobic faction that deny common sense - basic science in the case of the US Tea Party, and basic economics in the case of the Gaullists.

The UK conservatives (for completeness) are already split between the Tories and the UKIP - who are as jingoistic and xenophobic and the Gaullists and the Tea Party, but deny basic political common sense, wrt the EU.

The similarity with US Republicans is obvious. The UMP has been drawn into the Reps' vicious circle - leaders are chosen by the daft extremes, and thus stand no chance at the polls.

The French Socialists have so far avoided that danger, by splitting and de facto expelling the extreme left with little qualms. Also they have been doing what Omricon is preaching. When leftist representatives threatened not to approve the latest European treaty, which had been initiated by Sarkozy and thus would get the right's votes, that posed no problem to the Socialist govt.

However I'd question your characterization of Copé's side as "Gaullist". He is anything but. "Real" Gaullists such as Dupont-Aignan are a tiny minority both in the party and in the country.

Gaullism is center-right. Even left-wing french socialist party (PS) do like to think they have many things in common with De Gaulle.
Far-right here is the "Front National (FN)", and because, since 2002, they are growing at the expense of the UMP (right), many in UMP are trying to attract FN voters.

And yeah, it's currently the same thing in all western democracies. Even if, IMO, UK is still a little spared. UKIP is still very marginalised in politic and media.

In France, I would even add that the left wing PS were trying, during election, to attract many far-left voters too from the Front de Gauche (Mélanchon).
A mojority of the population is pissed off by the two main parties.